SAN FRANCISCO–The Giants will go for their third consecutive series victory at home on Sunday, but they’re still without both starters on the right side of their infield.
Both second baseman Joe Panik and first baseman Brandon Belt are on the seven-day concussion disabled list, and as of Sunday morning, there’s no official timetable for either player to return to the 25-man roster.
Panik arrived in the Giants’ clubhouse Sunday morning after participating in some sprints and taking swings in the AT&T Park batting cages, and appeared to be in great spirits after an encouraging workout.
The 26-year-old second baseman was hit in the side of the face while sliding into home plate on a throw from Washington Nationals’ center fielder Michael Taylor last Sunday, and was placed on the concussion disabled list earlier this week after experiencing headaches. Panik was held out more than a month last season due to a concussion that blurred his vision, but he said Sunday morning that he hasn’t experienced any issues with his vision this time around.
Panik began cardio work on Friday and manager Bruce Bochy said that right now, he thinks Panik is progressing faster than Belt.
“I think he’s ahead of Belt right now,” Bochy said. “I mean he’s doing some baseball activities. He took 25 swings off of the tee. He took 25 swings soft toss. He’s been actually doing well with the cardio and just moving around so he’ll do the same thing tomorrow and if this progress keeps happening, I could see him back before Belt.”
So far, Panik is making the type of progress he wants to see, and he said he and Belt have helped each other stay positive in their rehab process.
“It’s staying positive,” Panik said. “You’re going to have your good days and your bad days. You just hope you wake up better than the day before.”
Belt was hit by a pitch in the helmet by an Anthony Banda curveball when the Diamondbacks were in town two weeks ago, and skipped the Giants’ road trip to the east coast. The 29-year-old first baseman hasn’t been spotted around the Giants’ clubhouse with regularity since his concussion, but he did start a cardio program which is a sign of progress.
Still, Bochy said Sunday that Belt is still experiencing symptoms from his concussion, and the Giants will continue to be very cautious as they monitor him over the next several days.
“You know what, I guess the best I can say to describe it is he’s doing okay. We’ll continue doing some cardio up to a point where he needs to stop. He’s not at a stage where we can push it a little bit right now. So I guess what I’m telling you is there’s still some symptoms there.”
For Panik, the concussion he suffered was a source of frustration because he was heating up in Washington, D.C. After hitting a home run in the first game of the series, Panik had collected five hits over two games in Sunday’s doubleheader.
“That’s the way this game works, it’ll humble you,” Panik said.